The University of Arizona Alumnus / Fall 2007
Visions of Tomorrow
McCall paintings help establish the UA Museum of Art Visual Arts Archive
by John Brown, UA Foundation
Biochemist and science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov once described Robert McCall as “the nearest thing we have to an artist-in-residence in outer space.”
McCall has straddled two worlds most of his life. His body is rooted firmly on Earth, but his hand and brush have reached into the heavens, to create imaginative and optimistic paintings of outer space, the last great frontier.
McCall’s documentation of the United States space program for NASA and his futuristic visions in popular magazines and the movies have tantalized scientists and the public alike with glimpses of the future. Early on, he painted imaginative scenes of a manned space station orbiting Earth and robots with human-like abilities. His works were visionary and inspirational to scientists and helped move us closer to a technological world.
Now, McCall has donated more than 200 pieces of original artwork as the lead gift to establish the University of Arizona Museum of Art Visual Arts Archive, a new repository for artists past and present.
“Few have captured the American spirit of ingenuity, hope, and imagination as eloquently as Robert McCall,” says UA President Robert N. Shelton. “That’s why preserving his art for future generations is so important for our students and our community.”
The artist drew widespread attention in the early 1960s as the illustrator for Life magazine’s memorable series on the future of space travel. He later became one of a few select artists chosen by NASA to document the U.S. space program.
“McCall’s artwork will positively influence the next chapter of space exploration at the University,” says Joaquin Ruiz, dean of the UA College of Science.
“Sometimes people like Bob McCall help point us in the direction of where science should be going. The futuristic views of his work will be inspiring to new explorations even beyond the Mars mission that we are already working on.”
McCall acknowledges that his futuristic work borders on fantasy, but hopes it is an optimistic vision of the future.
“I paint a future that is an achievable one, but also idyllic. It’s a dream. It’s a hope,” McCall says. “Space is an endless journey, and the fact that it’s endless is part of the mystery, the wonder, and the joy of it.”
McCall’s artwork has appeared on many U.S. stamps, and his paintings have been exhibited at institutions across the U.S., at the National Gallery of Art, National Air & Space Museum, Pentagon, Disney’s EPCOT Center, and Johnson Space Center.
His movie credits include 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Black Hole, Tora! Tora! Tora! , and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. And his commercial work has appeared in many magazines.
The first exhibition of the McCall Collection is scheduled to open March 6, 2008, as part of campus festivities celebrating the Phoenix Mars Mission.
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